HOUSTON — Arian Foster was in his first season as a starter for Houston back in 2010 when the Ravens came to town.

When Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis grabbed the running back after a play, he didn’t know what to expect. Turns out Lewis had become a fan and told Foster: “I love the way you play this game. You have a very, very bright future.”

Since then, the pair have become friends, though that bond will be put aside Sunday when the Ravens and Texans meet in an AFC divisional playoff game.

Foster was floored by the comments from Lewis that day and said they really meant a lot to him.

“I was having a little success, but he didn’t have to do that, but he did it and it was kind of surreal,” Foster said, shaking his head. “The whole game I was kind of just like, ‘Ray Lewis just said ...’”

Lewis, in his 16th NFL season, is impressed by Foster’s football skills. But said he was drawn to the 25-year-old because of a quality that can’t be seen in X’s and O’s.

“He’s driven by a different burner inside,” Lewis said. “He was an undrafted guy with a lot of talent, so he is fueled by something different. Anytime you add that type of fuel with talent you get Arian Foster.”

Foster went undrafted out of Tennessee in 2009 despite running for 2,964 yards in his four-year career and was picked up by the Texans as a free agent. He was released that September, but signed to the practice squad the next day and made the active roster that November after injuries to Houston’s other running backs. He ran for 257 yards in six games.

Foster became Houston’s starter in 2010 and his career took off. He finished with an NFL-best 1,615 yards rushing, then followed that up by running for 1,224 yards this season despite sitting out three games.

In his first career playoff game last week, Foster ran for 153 yards and two scores to help the Texans to a 31-10 win over Cincinnati.

Foster has said the struggles he had in getting his NFL career going drive him, and knowing Lewis appreciates what he went through is the best compliment he could receive.

“As a man who’s played in this league, who’s respected by everybody who plays this game ... for him to say that, it’s vindicating for everything that I’ve worked for just to be respected by your peers and not only your peers, but one of the greatest defensive players to ever play the game,” Foster said.

The 36-year-old Lewis and Foster talk or text often, — Foster wouldn’t reveal what their texts have said this week — and they met up a couple of times during the offseason. Foster enjoyed spending a couple of hours chatting with Lewis after the pair attended the ESPYs.

“Those kind of moments are just priceless to me,” Foster said. “Because he’s just a great human spirit and anytime that you can be around people like that that inspire you, that’s what life’s about, is being inspired.”

Foster fits no traditional mold. He studied philosophy at Tennessee, he’s written poetry since childhood and has a fascination for foreign cultures. While his Houston teammates certainly like Foster and appreciate his skills, some of them just don’t understand his personality.

When he walked over to Andre Johnson on the sideline and bowed in front of him after the receiver scored a touchdown Saturday, Johnson told him with a smile: “Man, get out of my face.” Then there was the time Foster texted Johnson pictures of him feeding ducks.

“You get a text message from your teammate and you’re thinking it’s something important, something they have to say and it’s a picture of him feeding ducks,” Johnson said, laughing. “I don’t know what that was all about, but he does stuff like that. It keeps you laughing.”